The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 773: Internal Struggle (7)_1

Chapter 773: Chapter 773: Internal Struggle (7)_1

Lin Ziyin’s figure was petite, at least in the eyes of the towering Major General Batulu, she was short.

He had thought that the Prince’s Consort would be one of those delicate ladies who never failed to conceal their sorrow, shedding tears at the slightest upset, however, her disposition turned out to be quite outspoken.

Such an unabashed personality aligns well with Batulu’s liking, and he watched with great interest as Alhatu sparred with her.

"The Prince’s Consort is indeed outspoken," Alhatu admitted freely, "I have heard that the Prince’s Consort has a method to remove the smell from cow and sheep milk, and also to make sheep wool soft and fragrant?"

"Does the Second Prince want to get this method from me?" Lin Ziyin asked with a faint smile, not denying that she possessed such a skill.

"Yes." Alhatu admitted frankly. When speaking with a clever person, there was no need for detours, which would only backfire.

"The North Country and Northern Land seem to be at odds, does the Second Prince think I would easily tell you the method?" Lin Ziyin countered.

"The Prince’s Consort would naturally not disclose the method so easily. But I can assure you that as long as you provide us with the formula, I will definitely persuade my father and the Prince to agree to a no-war pact between the two nations," Alhatu responded earnestly. "I am not in favor of war, and have always been a supporter of peace. I believe the Prince’s Consort has heard of this."

Lin Ziyin nodded; indeed, she had heard of it, but what of it, "Indeed, I have heard that Second Prince is very upright, but I have also heard that the North Country’s Emperor favors war and invasion."

"State Preceptor and Brukan tend towards aggression and conquest, which is why I invited the Prince’s Consort here: I hope that, through practical actions, the Prince’s Consort can touch my father’s heart and join me in persuading him to abandon the war. I believe we have common interests in this matter," Alhatu explained with a smile.

"War and politics are men’s affairs, I think the Second Prince has sought the wrong person. I am just a weak woman, how could I persuade the Emperor of North Country to give up his war plans?" Lin Ziyin did not want to get involved in the internal strife of the North Country.

It would be difficult to persuade the Emperor of the North Country to give up his attack on the Northern Land. Due to resource restrictions, the North Country was colder than the Northern Land; moreover, they did not value the development of agriculture. To some extent, the people of the North Country were more envious of the abundant South of Daqin than the people of the Northern Land.

"The Prince’s Consort is being too modest." Alhatu said with a smile, "If the Prince’s Consort is willing to share her valuable farming experiences with us, I believe my father would absolutely not want to wage war."

Lin Ziyin merely responded with a mute smile.

"During this visit, I was hoping the Prince’s Consort could take a look at the soil and climate of our North Country to determine if it’s suitable for growing cereal and wheat?" Alhatu bluntly revealed all his intentions to demonstrate his sincerity.

"The Prince’s Consort isn’t very knowledgeable about farming; the knowledgeable ones are those who work on the Prince’s farm. All I did was occasionally give some advice," Lin Ziyin said with a smile.

"I don’t ask for much, just some advice. I hope the Prince’s Consort does not belittle herself. Why not wait until the spring to see the peasant’s cultivation before making any decisions?" Alhatu held high hopes for her.

Lin Ziyin could not argue with him and did not wish to continue the discourse any further.

Not long after, a group of soldiers came in with food, comprising of roasted lamb shank and mutton. The hot food effused a unique, lamb-like aroma.

"This is our traditional hand-torn lamb of North Country. It tastes different when eaten hot." Now that Lin Ziyin knew his intentions, Alhatu did not want to force her to agree immediately to his demands. Instead, he enthusiastically invited Lin Ziyin to join him for the meal.

The aroma wafting from the delicious lamb shank could not whet Lin Ziyin’s appetite. As a picky eater, she cared not for the ingredients but the taste.

What Alhatu and the others smelled as an enticing aroma, she recognized as the overpowering smell of mutton.

She didn’t like this smell, but for the occasion, and, of course, to fill her stomach, she reluctantly tore off a piece of lamb and put it into her mouth.

The mutton smell was indeed strong; she frowned as she swallowed it.

"How is it, not to the Prince’s Consort’s liking?" Alhatu, noticing her dislike, asked with concern.

Lin Ziyin didn’t hide her thoughts and nodded, "I’m not quite accustomed to this mutton smell."

"You people from Daqin like to add a lot of strong spices to your lamb, which completely covers the fresh taste of the meat. However, this is a borderland, and the chefs who can cook Daqin’s food are not here. Once you accompany me to the Capital City, my Residence has several chefs from the Northern Land. Then, you can enjoy some delicious food," Alhatu said apologetically.

"There is a great difference between the food cultures of the two countries, let alone other aspects. Is the Second Prince sure he can accept my views? Or, can the Second Prince be sure that he can convince your Emperor to accept my views?" Lin Ziyin used the opportunity to counter-question.

"How can we know the result without trying?" Alhatu said with a smile, "As long as it can make the people of the North Country live a stable life, the Emperor and the people will definitely accept the Prince’s Consort’s views."

Lin Ziyin smiled faintly and shook her head without further arguing on the matter.

Besides, she barely ate any lamb, even though she was still hungry. The arid lamb was quite unpalatable.

"Servants, send Miss Lin back to her tent." Alhatu ordered.

Immediately, two guards stepped forward and ushered Lin Ziyin out.

"Alhatu, are you sure that the Prince’s Consort can make the people live a stable life?" Once she left, the usually quiet Batulu finally spoke, his words filled with doubt.